


No Crying

by aquabee_13



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Author Projecting, Get Kiyotaka some help, How Do I Tag, How do I tell my therapist this is how i cope, If you read the tags comment mondo butter, Intrusive thoughts kinda?, M/M, Or Therapy, kinda venty, mean people :(, mondo is a good boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29731116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquabee_13/pseuds/aquabee_13
Summary: If there was one thing Kiyotaka Ishimaru hated, it was crying in front of others.A.N: Author still doesn't know how to write summaries.
Relationships: Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo
Kudos: 48





	No Crying

If there was one thing Kiyotaka Ishimaru hated, it was crying in front of others. When he was little, his grandfather, who was the prime minister of Japan at the time, always used to tell him, 'Strong men don't cry... It's a sign of weakness, a weakness your enemies can take advantage of.' Kiyotaka believed those words and took them to heart, not thinking about the mental repercussions.  
The 'not crying in front of others' took a huge toll on him when he started school at Hope's Peak. He knew other teens his age could be cruel, but not as cruel as they ended up being. The first day he was given the roll as hall monitor, the ultimate moral compass was pushed down a flight of stairs head first by a group of rebellious ultimates. Thankfully, a passing teacher was able to help him, but everytime she would ask him a simple question, he would keep his jaw clenched and shake his head, fearing that talking would break the already cracked dam. That wasn't even the worst.  
The dam, of course, just had to break when he and Mondo were hanging out at the arcade with a few more of their friends.   
A quick note about Mondo Oowada. Mondo was the leader of a biker gang known as The Crazy Diamonds, taking over when his older brother Daiya retired. So as one would expect, Taka had to hate Mondo, right? Mondo was a rule breaker and Taka was very much a rule follower. No, actually, once they became more acquainted, the two were nearly insperatible, going from friends to boyfriends nearly overnight. The change in dynamic gave the entirety of class 77 whiplash. Taka felt comfortable around Mondo, even learning to ease off the uptight persona and be more... Himself.  
Unfortunately, he still didn't let his walls or dam break, even if he knew that Mondo cared about him, that he would help and care for him... but... their was still this overlooking doubt that he couldn't let go...  
The arcade was a hotspot for Hope's Peak students, which was why Leon had suggested it in the first place. It wasn't small either, seeing as when they got there, all of class 78 was gaming too, with plenty of room for them and others. As soon as everyone got ahold of their quarters, they were off like a stampeed of wild horses, playing games and mingling with the other students.  
The only ones left near the the front were Mondo and Taka, "Claw Machines?"  
"Claw Machines," Taka replied, holding onto Mondo's hand as Mondo practically skipped to the long row of machines. The row was long, spanning the entire length of the wall. Together they created a beautiful stream of colors like a knit rainbow scarf. This particular row of machines housed Sanrio plushies, which both teens knew. Both had secretly harbored the love for the soft and cuddly Sanrio characters, "Which ones do you need?"  
"I'm thinkin' about getting another Pompompurin, you?"  
"I was hoping to get a bigger Cinnamoroll... or Badtz-Maru."  
"Sick!"  
Mondo settled in front of the claw machine, letting go of Taka's hand to slip in a quarter. Pompompurin looked up at him expectantly, "Holy shit, they look like cats!"  
Taka gasped, "Language!"  
Mondo laughed and became entranced by the game.  
'Holy shit, look who got that stick outta his ass!' Someone passing by whispered. Taka's ear picked it up as he watched Mondo plead at the claw.   
'Has to be someone else, Mondo Oowada wouldn't hang out with someone like Ishimaru!' Another whisper. Taka felt his throat dry up.   
'Would anyone hang out with Ishimaru for fun rather than pity?'   
'Wouldn't believe it! Come on, a karaoke room is open!'  
"Got 'im!" Mondo fished the plush out of the shoot and triumphantly held him out towards Taka... Who looked sick, "Taka? Dollface, what's wrong?"   
"I-" Taka shut his mouth, head pounding. He needed out. He needed to leave.  
"Let's... Let's go outside, yeah? Maybe fresh air would help."  
Taka simply nodded, tears already building up in his eyes until all the lights looked like a blurry kaleidoscope. Mondo gave Kiyotaka the plush to hold on to as he lead him outside and to a calm allyway, where he had parked his motorcycle, much to Taka's discouragement. The air felt nice and cool on Taka's burning cheeks, but ultimately didn't help in stopping the breaking of the dam. Kiyotaka didn't just cry; he sobbed. The entirety of the mental dam poured out into the front of Mondo's shirt, all while Mondo held him close and rocked him from side to side gently.   
When he was sure he was done crying, Taka pulled away, embarrassed and grossed out at the thin line of snot connecting him and Mondo's shirt, "I'm sorry..."  
"What happened Taka? You were fine when we got to the machines. Did someone grab you when I was focused on the game? I won't hesitate to throw hands," Mondo wiped Taka's cheek with his thumb, trying to sooth his boyfriend.  
Taka sighed, head throbbing, and leaned into Mondo's hand, "It's... It's stupid..."  
"Stupid? It's not stupid if it made you cry!"  
"But it is! I should have been able to hear those comments and moved on! I should've been strong, but instead I was weak! I was weak and broke down! That's not a trait of a strong man!"  
Mondo was stunned, "Kiyotaka Ishimaru, if that is what you believe, then you are completely and utterly wrong. Crying and breaking down doesn't make you any less of a strong man! It means you're human, that you have emotions and feelings."  
"But-"  
"You are one of the strongest men I know, honey! When you relax and are vulnerable with me? That's strength! When you confessed things to me and not others? That takes some balls, man. And I get it, sometimes we hold it in and collect these bad thoughts about ourselves until they come spewing out, and we think that we're weak because we couldn't keep them in," Mondo sighed, running a hand through his hair, which was not in that ungodly pompadour, "But it's better to release it than to let it collect and fester. It takes a toll on ya."  
Taka nodded, calming down slowly but surely, "You sound so... sure about it."  
"Heh, yeah. I used to struggle a lot with it when I was younger. I'll... Tell you about it later."  
The two stood in the ally for a while longer, feeling comfortable in the shade while the warm spring sun beat down. Some birds came down and spectated from the trashcan, one with a large bread crust nestled in its beak for lunch.   
"Wanna go back in?" Mondo rubbed Taka's back, wrinkling the fabric there.  
"Well... You kind of owe me a Batz-Maru plush... So yeah!" Taka leaned up and kissed Mondo gently on the lips, "And if you can't get him... We could always ask Kazuichi to "fix" the claw!"  
Mondo snorted.


End file.
